EJD 7th grade band stu-

dent, Hannah Morrison,

was selected to read

program notes to the

audience at the OCMEA

All County Band Festi-

val held in Oswego, NY

on January 12th, 2019.

EJD Celebrates the Arts The Central New York region has

conducted the annual Scholastic

Art Awards program for more than

70 years to recognize the artistic

accomplishments of students with-

in a wide region of local dis-

tricts. The Scholastic Art Awards

program is a very competitive

show representing artwork from

grades 7-12. This year the show

brought in close to 5,000 pieces of

art from a variety of districts in

the surrounding Syracuse are-

as. More than 70 professional art-

ists, educators and photographers

recently selected award winners

during the judging process to cre-

ate an exhibit of over 1,300 piec-

es. We are pleased to announce

that five EJD students were among

the winning selections for the 2019

Scholastic Art Show!

Gold Key was awarded to Liam

Campanino and Honorable Mention

Awards were received by the fol-

lowing 8th grade students: Mia

Graham, Lindsey Goudy, and Ai-

yannah Bukowski.

The artwork will be on display

through Friday, March 1st at the

Whitney Applied Technology Cen-

ter at Onondaga Community Col-

lege. This exhibit is free and open

to the public!

Congratulations to the award win-

ning artists from EJD!

The Oswego County Music Educators Association held their annual All County Band Festival on Jan-

uary 11-12, 2019 in Oswego, NY. Students from nine school districts had students selected to partici-

pate in either the junior or the senior high band. The junior high band under the direction of Mrs.

Beth Fabrizio was comprised of 79 total students from Oswego County. The Phoenix instrumental

music program grades 7-8 had 18 students selected to participate with the junior high concert band

based on an audition process held last November. The EJD Middle School is very proud to have had

one of largest number of junior high students represented from one school district at this year’s festi-

val! Selections performed at the concert included “Regimental Honor” by John Moss, “Rippling Wa-

tercolors” by Brian Balmages and “A Walk in the Morning Sun” by Pierre La Plante. The Phoenix

Central School Music Department is also very proud to be included in the NAfME top 100 schools in

America for Music Education for the 2018 school year. This is the eighth straight year for this desig-

nation. Special thanks go out to the Phoenix Administration Team and the Board of Education for

their continued support of our students here in Phoenix.

Charles Quaco – Bassoon, Nate Quaco – Flute, Beth Landers – French Horn,

Margo Pritting – French Horn, Lindsay Goudy – Tenor Sax, Chase McElyea – Euphonium, William

Burnell – Bari Sax, Julia Kasmark – Clarinet, Luke Zellar – Euphonium,

Hannah Morrison – Clarinet, Claire Minney – Clarinet, Luke Stellingwerf – Trombone,

Peyton Nichols – Trumpet, Nate Gaylord – Trombone, Jordyn Meyers – Alto Sax,

Caedance Myer – Tuba.

All County Festival—2019

Congratulations to the EJD PE students of the months for the month of December

5th grade- Eli Bailer and Kara Chapel

6th grade- Gabriel Hessler and Taisia Marasco

7th grade Caleb Jolly and Juliahana Dennis

8th grade- Shawn Froio and Lillianne MacDonald

5th Grade - PINK PYTHONS & YELLOW LEMONADERS

ELA - Mrs. Matlock and Mrs. McCaffrey:

Our ELA classes are midway through our second module that centers around the concept of human rights. In our first unit, we practiced close reading skills by learning about the articles in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Students continue to practice explaining the meaning of text, both verbally and in writing, by providing evidence and using quotes from the text. We are currently reading the novel, Esperanza Rising, and students are learning to make inferences, to determine themes and the meaning of figurative language, and to compare and contrast characters, settings, and events. There is a considerable amount of reading that needs to be done at home each night as required homework. Please help your child by providing the time and a quiet place for them to complete their reading successfully. Please feel free to call or email your child’s teacher any time you have any concerns or questions. jmatlock@phoenixcsd.org and lmccaffrey@phoenixcsd.org

Math - Mrs. Hetko and Mr. Westerlund: As we enter the mid-way point of fifth grade, we are seeing many exciting changes with the students as they become more fluent and comfortable with the fifth grade math curriculum. Tremendous growth is occurring with many students. During the 2nd quarter in math, we completed Modules 2 and 3. We wrapped up Module 2 early in the marking period with students performing all operations (+, -, x, ÷) with multi-digit numbers. We transitioned to fractions, and in Module 3 students used their knowledge of making equivalent fractions learned in Grade 4 and expanded this knowledge to add and subtract fractions fluently, with like and unlike denomina-tors. Students should also be able to simplify fractions. As we begin Module 4, students will be working on multiplying and dividing fractions and fraction decimals. If your child is struggling with homework, please remind them to bring home the Problem Set from class each day to use as a guide to completing the home-work. khetko@phoenixcsd.org and mwesterlund@phoenixcsd.org

Science - Mrs. Bonnier: We have just wrapped up the Objects in the Sky Bundle. Throughout the second quarter, the students have been learning all about the Sun, Earth, and the Moon. Ask your child to identify what phase the moon is in the next time you see it! We are moving on to the next bundle, Human Impact on Earth’s Systems. We will be ex-ploring how the Earth’s major systems, such as the biosphere and hydrosphere, interact with each other and how people can use this information to protect Earth’s resources and environments. If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at abonnier@phoenixcsd.org

Social Studies - Mr. Cassella: In the second quarter, students finished learning about the geography of North and South America and started studying the lives of Native Americans. We connected what they learned about the geography to where most

people lived due to food, water, climate and other living conditions. They will finish and report out on their Native American tribe or nation in the first weeks of quarter 3. We will spend part of the third quarter studying

the three major empires of the Mayas, Aztecs, and Incas and then role into our next unit on

the ‘age of exploration’ and what happened to change where we live. jcassella@phoenixcsd.org

Ms. Byrne 5th Grade ELA RTI: In ELA RTI, students have focused on answering and generating questions to strengthen

reading comprehension. Questioning is effective because it gives students a purpose for reading and helps stu-dents to think actively as they read. By generating questions, students demonstrate they understand what they have read or ask questions to clarify. As we read a variety of genre, we will continue asking questions before we read, during reading and after.

GREEN TEAM

In social studies, we just started our study of ancient India. When we finish ancient India it will conclude our focus on river valley civilizations. Encourage your child to review their notes and vocabulary in their journals for a few minutes each day.

In ELA, we are well into our second novel of the year, The Lightning Thief. The kids have also read a complex, informational text that explains the common storyline of the hero’s journey which has been repeated in literature throughout the centuries. In the second half of the module, students will have the opportunity to study Greek mythology, its purposes and elements. Students will continue to learn multiple strategies for acquiring and using academic vocabulary, as well as the importance of looking closely at a text in order to pinpoint evidence to support their thoughts and ideas.

In math we are half way through our Algebra unit, Expressions and Equations. This is a major unit for the students, serving as a foundation for the next 3+ years of math. If your student is having a difficult time, he/she needs to seek help and stay after school. Module 3 should take us up to about the 25-week mark. From there we will go into Module 4: Geometry, where the students will work on area of parallelograms, triangles, and irregular polygons, as well as volume of rectangular prisms. Please continue to work with your students at home on basic math skills and review previously taught material. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me at lzeger@phoenixcsd.org

Students have finished studying the structure of the Earth and plate tectonics. After a quick study of rocks and the rock cycle we will look at the role of water in the Earth's surface, weather, and climate.

Mrs. Burdick’s Read 180 class is in the middle of Workshop 4. We are reading various articles dealing with child labor around the world. We have been practicing our summarizing skills with these articles, in addition to our spelling, vocabulary and reading comprehension skills through the Read 180 software. In our RTI class, we have just begun reading Flush, a story about a young boy determined to find the truth about a local businessman polluting the waters of the Florida Keys.

***Please check that your child has a replenished supply of pencils and paper. We are finding that our supplies are run-ning low and there are still 20 weeks of school left. Thank you!

***It’s not too late to sign up to receive Bloomz notifications. Bloomz is a new app that works both on your smartphone as well as on your computer. You will receive quick updates and photos of class activities all in a private and secure envi-ronment.

PURPLE TEAM

ELA: The students are continuing to work on the module, Myths: Not Just Long Ago. They will soon begin to apply their

knowledge as they create their own mythical hero stories.

In math we are half way through our Algebra unit, Expressions and Equations. This is a major unit for the students, serving as

a foundation for the next 3+ years of math. If your student is having a difficult time, he/she needs to seek help and stay after

school. Module 3 should take us up to about the 25-week mark. From there we will go into Module 4: Geometry, where the stu-

dents will work on area of parallelograms, triangles, and irregular polygons, as well as volume of rectangular prisms. Please con-

tinue to work with your students at home on basic math skills and review previously taught material. If you have any questions

or concerns, please contact me at bmatlock@phoenixcsd.org.

Mrs. Burdick’s Read 180 class is in the middle of Workshop 4. We are reading various articles dealing with child labor in around

the world. We have been practicing our summarizing skills with these articles, in addition to our spelling, vocabulary and read-

ing comprehension skills through the Read 180 software. In our RTI class, we have just begun reading Flush, a story about a

young boy determined to find the truth about a local businessman polluting the waters of the Florida Keys.

In science, students have finished studying the structure of the Earth and plate tectonics. After a quick study of rocks and the

rock cycle we will look at the role of water in the Earth's surface, weather, and climate.

In social studies, we just started our study of ancient India. When we finish ancient India it will conclude our focus on river

valley civilizations .Encourage your child to review their notes and vocabulary in their journals for a few minutes each day.

EJD YEARBOOK NEWS!!! Parents order your child’s yearbook today! Do not wait! If you order

now, your child will be guaranteed a yearbook when we hand them

out in June. Have your child come to room 291, Mrs. Modafferi’s art

room 149 or the outside the main office to receive an order form.

You also can order online at www.jostens.com (select yearbook, se-

lect purchase).

Order Today!

Student Council has some exciting events coming up in February! For our community service project, running from January 28—February 15, we will be collecting pet supplies for OCAWL (Oswego County Ani-mal Welfare League) through our “Have a Heart” campaign. This will run as a home-room/team competition much like the canned food drive at the holidays. Stu-dents can bring in both wet and dry pet food, beds, toys, and treats. We are also collecting paper towels, laundry detergent, gently-used blankets or towels and mone-tary donations (checks made to OCAWL). The homeroom with the most items wins a pizza party. Spirit points go to teams that collect the most.

There will also be a “Valentine’s Wish” sale on February 13th & 14th. Students can purchase a heart-shaped lollipop with a “wish tag” attached for just two for $1.00. These can be given to friends, teachers, family members, or just kept for themselves!

Blue Lightning

In science, we just finished a major project on infectious diseases. Students should have submitted their Wanted poster on Google Classroom. We will be starting the animal kingdom and dissections of both an invertebrate and a ver-tebrate.

In English, students completed their argumentative essays and Wordly Wise les-son two-vocabulary words. In the next module, students explore the life of Frederick Douglass, the escaped slave and noted abolitionist who wrote Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. The module focuses on the questions of what makes stories powerful and on understanding an author’s purpose. In addition, stu-dents analyze how writers use figurative language and word choice to convey meaning. Students need an independent reading book for each class.

In social studies, students completed their Stamp Act paragraph answering the question “Why were the colo-nists upset about the Stamp Act?” The next topic we will be working on is the Boston Massacre. Students will be analyzing primary and secondary sources to decide “Was Justice Served?” during The “Bloody” Boston Massacre. Students will then complete an argumentative essay answering the above question using pieces of evidence from the document analysis.

We are currently in Module 3: Expressions and Equations. This module expands upon students’ understand-ing of equivalent expressions as well as how to write expressions in both standard form and in factored form. Students will be solving problems using equations to find the value of a missing variable, generating equivalent mathematical expressions and using the concepts of equations to solve real-world mathematical problems. Please continue to use Schoology as a tool for knowing where we are, where we are going and to see any important events that are upcoming. Similarly, all lesson videos and materials are on Schoology, so you are encouraged to access them to assist in completing work that is owed or missed.

Black G.O.A.T.S. In math, we are currently working on Geometric Transformations. To help your student, please ensure he/she is doing homework on a regular basis. Students who are having difficulty with homework are encouraged to stay after school for extra help. Students should have a scientific calculator since they will be used throughout the year.

In social studies, students have completed their unit on the Progressive Era and American Imperialism. At the end of the Progressive Era unit, students wrote letters to Congressman John Katko about issues they felt were important locally or nationally. We are now beginning our unit on World War I. Students have enjoyed the different methods we have used in class. After World War I, students will be studying the Roaring Twenties. While we study the twenties, students will try investing money into the stock market to simulate the market crash. Winter is here. Stay warm!

In ELA, we concluded our first module exploring the refugee experience. Students ended the module by work-ing hard on an extensive writing piece that incorporated multiple texts sources. Our current module will have students practice working with evidence related to the theme of taking a stand. During this module, we will read the beloved novel, To Kill a Mockingbird , by Harper Lee. Students will be assigned reading to do each night. Parents and guardians are encouraged to read and/or discuss the book with students at home and to monitor for reading completion. A quiet reading environment will be provided several days each week after school in my room for students who need it or would like some assistance with their reading assignments. It is impera-tive that students keep up with the assigned reading in order to be successful in class!

English Language Arts

Both seventh and eighth grade students are always working on language usage topics and vocabulary development, in addi-

tion to their module work.

ELA 7 – The students are currently writing their argumentative essays for Lyddie. The next module will focus on Narrative of

the Life of Frederick Douglass.

ELA 8 – The students are currently reading To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. This novel focuses on the concept of taking a

stand to bring about a positive change in society, as well as the importance of implementing the golden rule in all aspects of

our lives. Ultimately, the students will develop an argumentative essay based on the concept of taking a stand.

Math

To help your child be successful in math class, please have them complete the homework on the day it is assigned. This way

they can come in for extra help after school if the work is not understood. You should expect to see your child working on

math homework each evening at home. Remind your child to bring the math notes home to assist with the homework ques-

tions. Also, check your child’s agenda regularly for homework assignments, as well as upcoming quizzes and tests.

Math 7 – Students will begin working on Unit 4 which deals with equations and inequalities. Students will next be introduced

to geometry in Unit 5.

Math 7E – Students will continue working on Unit 5 which covers seventh grade Module 1 and eighth grade Module 4 on rati-

os and proportions. From there, we will move into Unit 6 which has students working with percent.

Math 8 – Students will continue working on Unit 4 which covers transformations.

Algebra – Students will continue working in Module 3 which deals with linear and exponential functions. Next, students will

be introduced to polynomial and quadratic functions in Module 4.

Science

Life Science 7 - Students just finished learning how scientists classify living things from kingdom to species, as well as the importance of biodiversity. We have begun our dive into the details of each kingdom and have studied bacteria, vi-ruses, and protists. In the next ten weeks,

we will begin exploring the animal kingdom.

Enrichment Life Science 7: Students just finished learning about details of Kingdom Eubacteria and Protista. Students also learned details about viruses and what characteristics they lack to be considered nonliving. We also explored evo-lution, natural selection, and adaptations. In the next ten weeks, we will begin exploring Kingdom Animalia.

Physical Science 8: Students just finished exploring the steps of the scientific method, as well as looking at our world as a collection of changing forms of energy. In the next ten weeks, students will study Newton’s Laws of Motion and how to calculate work, power, and horsepower. We will begin investigating simple machines this marking period as well.

Living Environment 8: Students just completed diving into the inner workings of living cells, including processes such as photosynthesis and respiration. Students have also learned a great deal about DNA and genetics. In the next ten weeks, students will be studying evolution and classification of life.

Social Studies

Social Studies 7 – We are currently studying the American Revolution. The next unit is government, followed by West-ward Expansion. These units covers a wide variety of topics. Our final unit will be on the Civil War and Reconstruction. If your child needs extra help, please encourage your child to stay after school. Please check your child ’s agenda for any homework or information.

Social Studies 8 – Students have just finished their unit on Imperialism. Up next, students will be studying WWI, the Roaring Twenties and the Great Depression. If your child needs extra help, please encourage your child to stay after school. Please check your child’s agenda for any homework or information

Ford French 7- We are currently working on the Schools Unit. In this Unit, students will learn their higher numbers, class objects, class subjects and learn their first verb. Students will also be giving a presentation. It is important that students are constantly monitoring their progress through school tool. I give opportunities for students to turn in missing work, retake quizzes and make test corrections. In February, we will celebrate “La Chande-leur” by eating crêpes in class! We will also have a chocolate fondue party during class time around Valentine’s Day. Please contact me at any time with questions or concerns regarding your child’s progress. Tford@phoenixcsd.org

Ford French 8-Bonjour! We have been very busy learning verbs, writing and prepping to earn a High School Credit. On January 25, students will go to the HS for orientation and scheduling for their HS classes will follow. I have spoken with all of the students about continuing with language and going to French 2 and French 3 to earn more credits. It is advisable that students earn their credits while they are in HS rather than paying for them while they are at college. We will celebrate “La Chandeleur” by having crêpes in class. We will also have a chocolate fondue party around Val-entine’s Day. Please contact me at any time with questions or concerns regarding your child’s progress.

Sra. Keib - 8th Grade Spanish

Please encourage your child to be using Spanish vocabulary daily. The topics

we have covered encompass most aspects of everyday life and they include

food and drink, family members, things to do and places to go, as well as many

words to describe these topics. We are currently working on finishing up the

“la comida” (food) unit and moving onto the “la casa” (house) unit.

Sra. Shaffer

Spanish 7

In the coming weeks students will be completing the mid-year assessment in Spanish. Students recently re-ceived a worksheet containing instructions for organizing their folder/notebook. Folders/Notebooks will be col-lected on the day the mid-year assessment is given. Students are responsible for knowing all of the information presented on the 27 required papers. DAILY review of these papers is essential for success!

Prior to February break students will be completing an oral questions test. Your child recently received a work-sheet containing 20 questions – all of which pertain to vocabulary/information studied so far this year. We have addressed these questions in class on numerous occasions. For this upcoming evaluation, students will randomly select 10 of the 20 questions. Students will be expected to answer the 10 (randomly selected) questions - in Spanish and in complete sentences. “Thinking” Spanish is NOT the same as “speaking” Spanish. So, if you have not heard your child practicing FREQUENTLY and OUT LOUD, please encourage him/her to do so!

We are now half way through the school year. Students have been introduced to a considerable amount of vo-cabulary already, but much more is yet to come! Your child should be studying his/her vocabulary on a regular basis. If your child is having difficulty, please encourage him/her to see me for additional help. I am available after school most afternoons, with the exceptions of Tuesdays. In addition, I highly recommend making flash-cards (with the Spanish on one side and the English translation on the other).

See what is coming up at EJD...

Our students have a new way of staying informed through our new messag-

ing center. Parents are encouraged to visit this website to see what is cur-

rently happening and view our upcoming events. The website is:

https://tinyurl.com/ejdnews

Follow us on

Twitter

@PCSDEJD

View our website at: http://www.phoenixcsd.org/schools/

Jan. 31—20 Week report cards distributed

Feb. 13—EJD & JCB Jazz Band Concert, EJD Café 7pm

Feb. 14—Happy Valentine’s Day

Feb. 18-22—Winter Break. School closed.

Mar. 1—End of 25 week marking period.

Mar. 8—25 Week progress reports mailed

Mar. 14—Grades 5-8 Band/Chorus concert, EJD Gym at 7pm

Apr. 2-4—Grade 3-8 ELA testing

Apr. 5—End of 30 week marking period.

Apr. 11—Grade K-8 have a half day of school.

Parent/Teacher conferences in the afternoon

and evening.

Apr. 12—30 Week report cards distributed.

April 12—Grades K-8 have a half day of school.

Apr. 15-22 - Spring break. School closed.

Please remember to call Student Services to schedule your

8th grader for next year’s classes. (315-695-1522)